Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Bicycling

Cyclist Dies of Injuries from Central Park Crash

7:18 AM EDT on August 29, 2019

Runners, cyclists, a dog and a tractor trailer! A great combo.

The cyclist who cops say lost control of his e-bike after making contact with a pedestrian at a crowded Central Park intersection has died of his injuries.

Charles Cheeseboro, 43, of Harlem, died Wednesday, two days after the 3:20 p.m. crash — about which few details are known.

Cops said only that they found Cheeseboro unconscious in the East Drive near 74th Street near a 77-year old pedestrian who had an unspecified minor injury. A preliminary investigation revealed that the cyclist had struck the pedestrian, lost control of his bike, and tumbled to the ground, striking his head.

He was taken to New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, where he died.

Cheeseboro would be the 20th cyclist to die in New York so far this year — up from 10 all of last year — though it is unlikely that the NYPD will classify his death that way. The agency considers e-bike riders as motorcyclists in its crash statistics.

The area of the park where Cheeseboro suffered his fatal injuries is a notorious point of conflict among cyclists and pedestrians — and the many car drivers who still roll through the supposedly “car-free” greensward. City officials say cars and trucks are still allowed on Central Park roadways to make deliveries or to conduct official business, yet Streetsblog frequently spots cars that do not meet that description.

Signage in the park — including “Cars Only” paint marking — is still designed towards the automobile, despite the putative ban in June 2018.

This is a breaking story. 

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Analysis: Everyone Agrees — Less Parking Means More Housing

Let's take a second-day look at Mayor Adams's "City of Yes" zoning proposal to do away with mandatory parking in new developments.

September 25, 2023

What is the Life of a Dead Pedestrian Worth?

A cop laughed that a normal person is only worth $11,000 — and that figure was partly due to his racism, but also how little we value the lives of people on foot.

September 25, 2023

Monday’s Headlines: ‘What is Up With All These Flip-Flops, Mayor?’ Edition

It's the same old story with this mayor and his chief adviser, Ingrid Lewis-Martin. Plus other news.

September 25, 2023

Why Sustainable Transportation Advocates Need to Talk About Long COVID

Covid-19 transformed many U.S. cities' approach to sustainable transportation forever. But how did it transform the lives of sustainable transportation advocates who developed lasting symptoms from the disease?

September 24, 2023

Analysis: ‘Dangerous Vehicle Abatement Program’ is a Failure By All Measures

The Department of Transportation wants the Dangerous Vehicle Abatement Program to simply expire in part because it did not dramatically improve safety among these worst-of-the-worst drivers and led to a tiny number of vehicle seizures.

September 22, 2023
See all posts